KSR Today: Kentucky has That Dog at Florida
In the sixth-ranked Wildcats’ first true road test of the season, Kentucky took a few jabs from Florida but never flinched. With their backs against the ropes, the young Wildcats came from behind to open SEC play with an 87-85 victory over the Gators.
Kentucky trailed by eight at halftime and was behind by seven points at the 12-minute media timeout in the second half. The Wildcats had not overcome a deficit of 8-or-more on the road at halftime since the last win of the 2020 season, which also came at Florida.
The cold Cats hit only 5-of-20 threes, a new season low, and trailed for all but 5:25 of the game. The tide turned with 87 seconds on the clock when Aaron Bradshaw eyed down a three from the top of the key in a tie ballgame and buried it. The 7-footer struggled early against Florida’s size, but the moment was never too big for Bradshaw.
“This team never — they’re a bunch of — I don’t care that they’re young. They’re dogs. They have a will to win,” John Calipari said. “They were playing to win the game.”
The two New Jersey kids, Bradshaw and DJ Wagner, combined for two points in the first half. They had 22 in the second half. Dogs.
Kentucky committed seven first half turnovers and just two after intermission. The Wildcats finished the night by making 13-of-15 free throws. Dogs.
The season-opening victory in Gainesville made it abundantly clear the Cats have that dog in them. One YouTube viewer sees it differently. ‘The Hippos’ might be the best nickname for a Kentucky basketball team since Pitino’s Bombinos.
If you need a meme to match, don’t you worry, we got you covered.
Mandatory Postgame Reading, Viewing
Highlights from the Kentucky Win
John Calipari’s Postgame Press Conference
Kentucky Shows Championship Level Resolve, Will to Win at Florida
Reed Sheppard, Aaron Bradshaw Speak After the Win
Kentucky Maintains Ownership of the O’Dome with 6th Straight Win
In the face of adversity, Kentucky freshmen accept challenge
Kentucky vets serve as reliable cornerstone
Kentucky Survives Intense SEC Opener
Jay Bilas: It’s “inexplicable” that the NCAA has not cleared Big Z
A Random Pet-Peeve
I’d like to briefly take the floor to share an ‘Old Man Yells at Cloud’ opinion. Home basketball teams should always wear white jerseys. Period. The inverse applies to football, with home teams wearing primary colors.
We only get to see the blue jerseys about a dozen times a year. That’s been limited even further because Florida and Louisville are violating the status quo. They wore orange and black at home, respectively, and they paid dearly for it. NBA teams are violating this norm and it’s disgusting. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.
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Kentucky-Florida Postgame Reaction
It depends on what you prefer. You can hear Matt Jones discuss the game with the Big Blue Nation on the KSR Postgame Show, or you can watch a Rapid Reaction with Drew, Zack and Jack on the KSR YouTube Channel.
Kentucky Recruits in Action in Woodford County
Two of the top junior basketball players in America are competing tonight in Central Kentucky. Jasper Johnson‘s Link Academy (MO) will take on Darryn Peterson and Huntington Prep (WV) at 6:00 p.m. EST at Woodford County High School. The event begins at 3:30 with a local matchup between Tates Creek and No. 13 Woodford County, Johnson’s former school. KSR will be on-hand for the event honoring the late Alvis Johnson. You can also stream it live at PrepSpin for a one-time fee of $14.95. Follow the link here to find out more.
Kentucky WBB Tries to Stay Hot
Kyra Elzy’s Cats are looking for their fifth-straight win and a 2-0 start to SEC play. It won’t be easy. Kentucky is hitting the road to take on Elzy’s alma mater, the Tennessee Lady Vols. The action tips off at noon on SEC Network+.
Strikes for Scholars
The Fayette County UK Alumni Club is hosting a fundraiser Sunday, Jan. 21 at Southland Lanes. Strikes for Scholars benefits the group’s scholarship endowment fund. The event will include a special three-game format with one team (four bowlers) on each of the reserved lanes. Cost is $200 per team and includes shoe rental, giveaways and prizes. Carl Nathe will emcee the event and entertain us with his unique humor and stories from more than 20 years as the voice of Kroger Field. You can register and find more information here.
Josh Allen is Playing for the Playoffs
It’s pretty simple for the Jacksonville Jaguars: win and you’re in. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens eliminated any sort of backdoor scenario for the Jags to stumble into the playoffs. The Jags must beat the Titans to stay alive. If not, today could be Josh Allen’s last game in a Jacksonville uniform. A free agent this offseason, the franchise’s single-season leader in sacks may not get a chance to tee off on another former Cat, Will Levis. The Titans host the Jags at 1 pm. Check out the rest of today’s NFL slate.
Falcons (+3) at Saints, 1 pm
Browns (+7.5) at Bengals, 1 pm
Jags (-4.5) at Titans, 1 pm
Bucs (-4.5) at Panthers, 1 pm
Jets (+1.5) at Patriots, 1 pm
Vikings (+3.5) at Lions, 1 pm
Bears (+3) at Packers, 4:25 pm
Cowboys (-13.5) at Commanders, 4:25 pm
Seahawks (-3) at Cardinals, 4:25 pm
Rams (+4) at 49ers, 4:25 pm
Eagles (-4.5) at Giants, 4:25 pm
Broncos (+3) at Raiders, 4:25 pm
Chiefs(+3.5) at Chargers, 4:25 pm
Bills (-2.5) at Dolphins, 8:20 pm
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